Chapter 78 – A Change of Scenery

Delia stood and took one last look out the window of their home while they waited for the taxi to pick them up and take them to the airport. Their personal belongings had already been shipped to the new home in Roaring Heights. They only took a few pieces of furniture which included Vladimir’s piano and, of course, the contents of the basement. 

The house they were buying was fully furnished. Delia had contracted to have one of the rooms hidden with a bookcase with a trap door; the same as her mother had done so many years ago.  Valerie was well aware of her basement and the two of them were going to have to discuss it in more detail after they got settled, especially since Valerie was now a fully developed vampire and Delia planned to ‘cure’ her of this affliction.

It was early in the morning before the sun came up when the three of them climbed in the waiting taxi for the ride to the airport where they would board the plane to Roaring Heights. Valerie was excited and even Victoria was more agreeable than usual given the early morning hours and her recent desire to sleep in every day. This was the best Delia could have hoped for and she was very relieved at the lack of drama.

It was bright and sunny when they arrived and the taxi dropped them off at their new home right in the heart of downtown Roaring Heights. It was a huge 4 (formerly 5) bedroom, 2 story home complete with a pool and bathrooms for everyone. Not that the home they lived in was small but it paled in comparison.   

Victoria squealed when she saw the pool and immediately ran and changed into her swimsuit and jumped in. They had a pool back in Bridgeport but it was ALWAYS raining or foggy. This was beautiful warm sunshine.

While she lay there with her hand on her stomach she could swear it moved. Then a thought occurred to her; the nausea that she had in the mornings, the hardness of her abdomen and she had skipped her cycle for a couple of months now. And lying here just now she swore she felt something move in her stomach. Oh no - it couldn't be, could it?! She would sneak out and go to the drugstore around the corner to be sure.

While Victoria was sneaking off to the drugstore, Valerie found the piano and began to play her beautiful melodies.

Satisfied that the girls were settling in, Delia went to check on her hidden room to make sure everything was in order. She would be spending time here very, very soon creating the cure for all three of them. 

Delia made sure all of the ingredients for the cure were in order. Relieved to see that all were indeed intact and survived the move, she decided she would prepare the formula that evening after she had a conversation with Valerie to prepare her and remind her that it might not work. 

When Delia left the hidden room, she heard the beautiful music that only Vladimir and now his daughter Valerie could play on the piano. Valeria was still playing. Delia quietly walked down and silently listened to her daughter playing remembering how Vladimir used to play for her. Before she became too caught up in her heartache, she interrupted Valerie and told her they needed to talk.

Valerie stopped playing and then they both sat down on the couches right behind the piano. 

“What is it mom?” asked Valerie concerned.

“Valerie,” started Delia, “you know I have been working on a cure for our – uh – conditions - for years now.”

“Yes! Is it ready? Oh my gosh! I can’t wait!” exclaimed Valerie.

“No, not yet, but I do have everything ready and will be working on it tonight,” smiled Delia. Then softening her voice she continued, “But sweetheart, I have never tried this before. There are no guarantees it will work.”

“Mom, have faith. Of course it will. Then I can have your French toast again!” laughed Valerie.

“Okay Val, get a good night’s sleep and we can chat in the morning,” replied Delia.

No sooner had Valerie scuttled off to bed and Delia got up to go to begin working on the cure, than Victoria walked up to her. 

Victoria checked to be sure Valerie was gone and asked her mother if she had a minute, she needed to tell her something. 

Delia was worried and happy at the same time. Victoria never approached her to ask her for anything. In fact she usually avoided spending any time with her or Valerie; preferring to keep to herself.

“Sure, what is it Victoria?” asked Delia.

“Mom, uh – I – uh - think I mean - oh man,” stammered Victoria.

“What Victoria?” Delia said impatiently a bit louder than she intended. She wanted to get in her secret room and begin the potion. That was uppermost on her mind and she had quickly lost her patience with Victoria and immediately regretted it.

Delia’s tone made Victoria defensive. She pointed at her mother and yelled back, “See, you NEVER listen to me!” and turned around to walk off angry.

Delia grabbed her arm and lowered her voice.  “No, baby, please.  Don’t shut me out.  I am sorry.  Whatever you want to say, please, I am listening. Just tell me. Please Victoria,” begged Delia.

Victoria figured she didn’t have a lot of choice.  Her mom was going to find out anyway and already hated her. Why she even cared what her mother thought confused her. 

Victoria looked at her mom and spat out, “I am pregnant!”

Then Victoria looked away.  She couldn’t bear to see anymore of her mother’s disappointment with her and waited for the yelling to begin.

Of all the things Delia expected her daughter to say, that was not one of them. She took a minute to silently process what she had just heard while Victoria looked ashamed.

Delia had to fight back tears. She pulled her daughter into a hug and whispered, “Victoria, it’s going to be okay. We will work through this together, you are not alone. We will get you to a doctor tomorrow if possible.” God she wished Vladimir were here.  

Victoria was shocked. She pulled out of her mother’s arms appalled and said through gritted teeth,“Mom, I am keeping this baby!” Victoria thought “doctor” meant abortion. She had surprised herself at how possessive she had already become of the child growing inside of her.

“Of course you are darling,” Delia replied, “But you haven’t had any prenatal care. We just need to make sure you and the baby…” and with that the tears came “…are both healthy. I will make an appointment in the morning. Why don’t you run off to bed? We can talk more tomorrow. You should rest,” then she added, “Victoria, I love you.”

Victoria ran off to bed feeling confused by her mother’s compassion and surprised at the love she was already feeling for her tiny baby. My baby she thought and smiled for the first time in a very long time.

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Delia was exhausted. She went up to her secret room and sat down at the desk to gather her thoughts before she could begin. She needed to focus. Delia looked at the picture of her parents on the table and wondered about their short love affair that produced her. 

Delia wondered if Victoria loved the father of her baby like her mother had apparently loved her father. She figured Glen was the father and from what Victoria said before they left, sadly she didn’t love him or he her. They would need to discuss Glen. But she needed to get her to the doctor first. She was very happy that Victoria came to her. She just hoped she continued to confide in her. 

Now that she had calmed herself, Delia was ready to create the cure. This was something she had been working for since Vladimir had shared his full story with her and told her that their children had inherited the curse. 

Delia gathered the required mushrooms, plants and gems and read and re-read the recipe before beginning. 

She couldn’t afford to mess this up.

Delia began mixing and blending until the elixir became the right color of blue.  Then she knew it was ready.

She had been very precise and the recipe yielded 3 bottles of cure potion; one for each of them unless Victoria’s child happened to be cursed. She would be able to cure it once it was old enough, but she would have to make more of the cure. She prayed it wouldn’t be necessary.

Delia would need to wait to cure Victoria until after her child was born. She would only be 17 by then so would not have to become a fully evolved vampire first. Victoria would have enough to deal with being a single teenage mom; being a vampire wasn't going to add to her stress if she could help it. Delia would do everything she could to help her. As hard as this would be for Victoria, maybe it would bring Delia's little family closer together.

Tomorrow she would cure Valerie and tell her about Victoria. She hoped Val would be supportive of her sister.

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Delia got up and made breakfast for Victoria while waiting on Valerie to get up. Victoria came into the kitchen and watched her mom making breakfast for her. She knew her mom and Valerie never ate the food she made anymore and wasn’t quite sure why. It was actually quite good. Her mom was a wonderful cook. Instead, they always drank those stupid ‘energy’ drinks.

Regardless, she was glad her mom made her breakfast. She was starving now that her morning sickness had gone away. Her mom seemed unaware that she was sitting there. Victoria cleared her throat and said simply, “Mom, thank you.”

Delia startled and turned around and saw Victoria sitting at the counter as she pulled her famous French toast out of the oven. She looked at her and said, “I don’t mind; I can cook this in my sleep. Come let’s sit down in the dining room and you eat up.”

The two of them made their way into the dining room and Victoria began to eat. Delia watched her eat knowing that Victoria's relationship with Glen was probably Victoria's attempt to ease the pain of losing her father at such a young age. She had failed miserably at comforting her daughter and being there for her when she needed it most.

Victoria finally broke the silence and said to her mother, “No, Mom, I didn’t mean for thank you for the French toast, but – um – thanks for that too. I, well, I meant thank you for just, I don’t know, not yelling at me or calling me a slut or whore.” 

Victoria never ceased to shock her. “Victoria, you were hurting and have been for a very long time. I know that. You were just looking to fill a void that for whatever reason, I apparently wasn’t able to do. I didn’t help you when you needed it most.”

“Mom…” started Victoria but quickly stopped when Valerie came in with her 'energy drink' and sat down with them. “Here comes little miss sunshine,” she mumbled under her breath.

“Good morning Valerie,” said Delia.

“Uh, morning guys,” stammered Valerie unaccustomed to seeing the two of them sitting together at the breakfast table.

Victoria promptly got up and left. “I gotta get ready for school, talk to you this afternoon Mom,” said Victoria ignoring Valerie as she got up and ran upstairs to change for school. Pregnant or not, she still had to go to school. 

After Victoria left Valerie looked at her mom and asked, “What was that about?”

Delia figured now was as good a time as any to tell Valerie. “Val, your sister is pregnant.”

“Pregnant?  That slimy boy!  I knew they were messing around. I am gonna kill him!” exclaimed Valerie.

“Valerie! You knew she was having sex with him? How could you not tell me?” Delia demanded.

“I, I didn’t know. I just thought it was kissing and you know, nothing more. Mom, I have only had one date in my whole life. I just never realized. Oh, God,” replied Valerie.

“What’s done is done. Nothing can change that. We have to be her support system now. She needs us like never before. You will support her through this!” said Delia, and then added, “Now, I have a surprise for you. Why don’t you let your sister know we have talked before she heads out to school? I want to work out a bit to settle my nerves. Meet me in the sitting room after she leaves for school.”

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Valerie didn’t dislike her sister; she was just very hard to get along with. Victoria preferred to be alone and just wasn’t talkative anymore. They were best friends when Victoria was little and she missed that.

Valerie approached Victoria unsure of how she would react but she had to try. “Victoria, Mom told me your news,” said Valerie, “How are you feeling?”

“Like you care,” retorted Victoria.

Valerie took a deep breath, “Victoria, you are my sister and my little niece or nephew is growing in there, of course I care. I care about you and the baby you are carrying.”

“Yeah, right,” snapped Victoria, “You are probably jealous because no one wants to have sex with a nerd like you. And by the way, this baby is MINE, not yours and don’t you forget that!”

“Victoria – no,” said Valerie as her sister turned and left for school. I should have told Mom the minute I saw Glen and her making out in the park. It was probably too late once I caught him in her room, thought Valerie, It's all my fault! Mom is right, what is done is done. How is she so wise? Then she remembered the cure and ran into the sitting room to see if this was indeed her surprise. 

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Valerie shook off the encounter with her sister and went downstairs to find her mom already in the sitting room pouring a blue elixir into a glass.

“Hi Mom,” said Valerie excitedly, “Is that what I think it is?”

“Yes, Val,” said Delia, “I am mixing it in this drink so it will be easier to swallow.”

Valerie rushed over and picked up the cup of swirling blue liquid from the bar.  She looked at it like it might bite her.

Before she began to drink, Delia cautioned, “You must drink it all Valerie, and remember it might not work.  I have never tested this before but all of the potions I have ever made and used have worked as expected so I have no reason to believe this one will not, but....” 

Valerie wasted no time. Delia watched as her daughter quickly downed the blue drink. Then they waited.  Subtle changes began to happen to Valerie. Her eyes lost the luminous glow as her skin took on a more healthy looking pallor.

“I feel warm all over!” Valerie exclaimed.  She then ran her tongue over her teeth. “My fangs, they are gone! It worked mom!  Let’s eat French Toast!”

“Of course!” smiled Delia, “There is some left from this morning. Help yourself!”

Valerie ran to the kitchen.  This would be the final ‘test’. She grabbed it and heated it up. It smelled like heaven and tasted even better.  She was cured. She was no longer a vampire requiring blood to survive. 

Delia watched and laughed with joy as her daughter scarfed down French toast for the first time in more than a year. It works! Once Victoria has her baby, I will cure her. If her child is cursed then I will save the last potion for it, otherwise I can use it for myself, thought Delia, just a few more months.    

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